[Kevin]

This are the procedures I wrote up for things I need to do when I
install Windows XP.

Instructions: Display Settings

1. Click Start
2. Click Control Panel
3. Click Switch to Classic View
4. Click View
5. Click Details
6. Click Display
7. Click the Desktop tab
8. Click Customize Desktop
9. Uncheck Run Desktop Cleanup, and then click OK
10. Click the Screen Saver tab
11. Choose (None) for the Screen Saver
12. Click Power
13. Change Turn off monitor to Never
14. Click Apply, and then click OK
15. Click the Appearance tab
16. Change the color scheme to Silver
17. Click Effects
18. Uncheck Use the following transition
19. Uncheck Show shadows under menus
20. Click OK
21. Click the Settings tab
22. Change Screen resolution to 1024x768 pixels
23. Click Advanced
24. Click the Monitor tab
25. Change Screen refresh rate to 75 Hertz
26. Click Apply
27. Click Yes
28. Click OK
29. Click OK

Folder Settings

1. Click Folder Options
2. Click View
3. Check the following boxes:
4. Display the contents of system folders
5. Display the full path in the title bar
6. Display the full path in the address bar
7. Show hidden files and folders
8. Uncheck the following:
9. Automatically search for network folders and printer
10. Hid extensions for known file types
11. Click Apply
12. Click Apply to All Folders
13. Click Yes
14. Click OK

[Kevin]

How to Speedup Browsing Folders

You may have noticed that everytime you open my computer to browse folders that there is a slight delay. This is because Windows XP automatically searches for network files and printers when you open Windows explorer. To stop XP from doing this follow the instructions below.

1. Open My Computer
2. Click on Tools menu
3. Click on Folder Options
4. Click on the View tab.
5. Uncheck the Automatically search for network folders and printers check box
6. Click Apply
7. Click Ok
8. Reboot your computer

Try it now, you will see a significant increase in speed.

[Kevin]

Have you been experiencing random crashes in Windows XP or Windows 2000, and you can't find any reason for them? Windows XP and Windows 2000 are both supposed to be (and typically are) much more stable than Windows 9x/Me, but there are still things that can bring down the entire system in a heartbeat, displaying the BSD (Blue Screen of Death) or simply restarting. Go over this checklist and see if any of these apply to you.

Power Supply - a bad (or insufficient) power supply is the most common cause for random crashes, especially if you have a lot of cards, drives, or fans, or have a dual-processor motherboard. A 350W or 400W power supply is recommended if you're experiencing this problem.

A mix of FAT32 and NTFS drives - If you have more than one hard disk, and there are different file systems on each one, try converting them all to NTFS.

Audio Card Drivers - try removing your sound card, or at least uninstalling and then reinstalling the drivers.

USB Hub - if you have a USB hub, try eliminating it and see if that solves the problem (especially if you have a USB-based Palm cradle and your system crashes every time you hotsync).

Overheating - a computer will crash if the processor overheats. Make sure the CPU fan/fans are working, and that the processor temperature (read in the BIOS screen) is within normal limits. Make sure your computer case has adequate ventilation.

Bad memory - a bad memory module can cause this problem. Try removing one of the modules to see if that solves the problem; rotate through all modules until you've found the culprit. Note that some computers require memory to be installed in pairs, so, for example, if you have four modules, you'll have to remove two (no more, no fewer) for this test.

Note: these things aren't necessarily problems in and of themselves, so if you're not experiencing random crashes, don't waste your time solving problems that aren't there.

[Kevin]

Increase your cable modem or DSL speed in XP

This tweak is for broadband cable connections on stand alone machines with winXP professional version - might work on Home version also. It will probably work with networked machines as well but I haven't tried it in that configuration. This is for windows XP only.

This tweak assumes that you have let winXP create a connection on install for your cable modem/NIC combination and that your connection has tcp/ip - QoS - file and print sharing - and client for microsoft networks , only, installed. It also assumes that winxp will detect your NIC and has in-box drivers for it. If it doesn't do not try this. In the "My Network Places" properties (right click on the desktop icon and choose properties), highlight the connection then at the menu bar choose "Advanced" then "Advanced Settings". Uncheck the two boxes in the lower half for the bindings for File and Printer sharing and Client for MS networks. Click OK

1. From the windows XP cd in the support directory from the support cab, extract the file netcap.exe and place it in a directory on your hard drive or even in the root of your C:\ drive.

2. Next, open up a command prompt window and change directories to where you put netcap.exe. then type "netcap/?". It will list some commands that are available for netcap and a netmon driver will be installed. At the bottom you will see your adapters. You should see two of them if using a 3Com card. One will be for LAN and the other will be for WAN something or other.

3. Next type "netcap/Remove". This will remove the netmon driver.

4. Open up control panel / system / dev man and look at your network adapters. You should now see two of them and one will have a yellow ! on it. Right click on the one without the yellow ! and choose uninstall. YES! you are uninstalling your network adapter, continue with the uninstall. Do not restart yet.

5. Check your connection properties to make sure that no connection exists. If you get a wizard just cancel out of it.

6. Now re-start the machine.

7. After re-start go to your connection properties again and you should have a new connection called "Local area connection 2". highlight the connection then at the menu bar choose "Advanced" then "Advanced Settings". Uncheck the two boxes in the lower half for the bindings for File and Printer sharing and Client for MS networks. Click OK.

8. Choose connection properties and uncheck the "QOS" box

9. Re-start the machine